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Butt, I didn’t Dial You!
I was at home, minding my own business when my phone rang. “Hello. Hello. HELLO” No response, but I could hear voices in the background.
Finally, I hear a hesitant “Hello” back. A familiar voice but one I hadn’t heard for quite a while. “Hi, Tom. Long time, no talk!”
Yup, Tom had butt dialled me. We were both a little shocked. Before we said our embarrassed good-byes, we stopped and then started a conversation. We caught up on what we’d been up to, along with updates for our partners and adult children. What a serendipitous adventure we had begun.
We recalled how much we enjoyed each other’s company and decided to get together to have lunch. We both had a great time. Good food, good company. A good combo as is, and no need to upsize it!
As older adults and seniors, we can engage in life. Our life experience lets us see the world differently, as it unfolds. We can recognize the importance of short, quiet, or exciting moments; sitting with friends just watching a sunset, or watching children discover their world for the first time. We have an opportunity to help the next generation appreciate those moments, to slow down and say yes more often.
Everybody has one autobiography in them. With just a few exceptions, each is fascinating. A life-story well told is a story worth preserving. Recall a small episode in your life that lasted no longer than 1 hour. If you can recall something that specific, it is distinguished by definition.
Now identify an opportunity or, better yet, create the opportunity to tell another person about the event. The details are essential, but the lessons learned make the story all worthwhile. Share those lessons. They may not resonate with folks, but you can be confident, with a strong “take away,” they most likely will recall the story years from now.
Telling stories, traditionally, is not something western culture does that often. We have songs, films, videos that capture much of the moment, but they tend to miss the act of closure. The next song on the playlist or the next video starts before we’ve had time to reflect on what we just heard or saw.
Give this a bit of a think. You can make a difference in the life of younger people in your life by telling stories, engaging them, reflecting on why the story is important to you. And listening to their stories!
This Blog was inspired by a good friend. Thanks for the butt dial.
My thanks to St. Albert Seniors Association: 780-459-0433 for making this Blog possible.
Volunteer Blogger
TheBlog@StAlbertSeniors.ca
Telling anecdotes or stories comes naturally to me as I remember so well my father stretching out a story where the listener would finally say “ Charlie get to the point!”. So I tend to ramble on. ….
Sometimes we need to listen. I was travelling to England alone and at the airport lounge looking for a seat at a cafe table . A lone young woman with blue dyed hair occupied one of the two seats and I asked if could join her. She was on her way to visit her dying father. She talked of his life and his illness and her guilt of having left home . I listened and listened. Her flight was being called. She said that her anxiety had lifted after talking to me and she thanked me for listening.
What a wonderful story you just told us. Thank you.